National Register of Historic Places

Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House

Kinmundy, Marion County, Illinois
Listed
November 12, 1998
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
98001355

About this property

The Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House are a water tower and pump house in Kinmundy, Illinois, which served the Illinois Central Railroad. The Illinois Central first built a line through Kinmundy in 1856. As steam engines could only carry a limited water supply at the time, the railroad was dependent on local sources of water near the towns it stopped at. Since these sources were often unreliable, the railroad created its own water supply in several locations. Kinmundy, where the railroad created a 28 acres (11 ha) reservoir, was one such town. The water tower and pump house stored water from the lake and transported it to steam trains. Similar towers were located every 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) along the line; the towers were used until the Illinois Central ceased to use steam locomotives in the 1950s. In 1951, the city of Kinmundy purchased the water tower and pump house for municipal use. The tower is one of two remaining wooden water towers along Illinois Central lines in Illinois, and as the town's depots have been demolished, the two buildings are the only extant structures representing Illinois Central service to Kinmundy. The structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. They comprise one of Kinmundy's two National Register listings, along with the Calendar Rohrbough House.

Location

Kinmundy, Marion County, Illinois
38.76324, -88.85803

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Rohrbough, Calendar, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Badollet House
Industrial
10.4 mi
Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
10.4 mi
Bachmann, Charles and Naomi, House
Industrial
10.7 mi
Bryan, William Jennings, Boyhood Home
Industrial
10.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House listed on the National Register?

Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House?

Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House?

The period of significance for Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House?

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